Our Salesforce Talent Team caught up with Leanne White this month to ask some questions about her journey towards a Salesforce Career. Leanne is relatively new to the Salesforce eco-system, but through her hard work and determination, she is now a Certified Salesforce Administrator and Trailhead Ranger with 5 Superbadges under her belt. She is super motivated, hungry to learn with her efforts being acknowledged earlier this year by being the January 2022 Trailhead Road To Ranger Quest Winner!
Leanne is a promising Salesforce Administrator, keen to land her first Salesforce job and continue reaching her Salesforce career goals. We asked Leanne 10 questions relating to her Salesforce journey so far. Here’s what she has to say….
What attracted to you to a Salesforce career?
I was really impressed by Trailhead, the Salesforce training platform. It was amazing to see a company so invested in learning, not only for those new to Salesforce but a platform for continued learning throughout your whole career. I was also drawn to the diverse set of roles that exist within the Salesforce eco-system where you have the ability to develop as you grow your career. I saw it as an exciting opportunity not to be missed.
How did you start learning? Where did you start?
I was in a very fortunate position of being self-employed and having enough savings to support myself. Through the support of my partner, I was able to reduce my work schedule until I could focus 100% of my time and effort into Salesforce learning. I treated it very much like a full-time job but with a flexible schedule, learning, revising, and practicing Monday to Friday.
My learning journey started with Trailhead and after doing some basic introductory modules, I focused on two main Trailmixes:
– Prepare for Your Salesforce Administrator Credential Trailmix |
– Build Your Admin Career on Salesforce Trailmix | Salesforce Trailhead
I also created my own Trailmix Project List for Admins to put interesting projects I read about in one place.
I wanted to get as much hands on practice as possible and have created two developer orgs to help put into practice what I had learnt. The first was an app to help me track my progress in a video game I play. Focusing mainly on data management, I had a few set goals I wanted to achieve using Salesforce but I also added and changed things as and when I thought of them. I will continue to work on this even after I get a job I expect as it is a bit of a passion project.
The second was a more structured travel app which I completed as part of an online course with Certify CRM. This was more like working as part of a small business to help set up their first Salesforce app and making sure it has all the necessary functions to run an effective business.
What has been your biggest challenge throughout your learning journey so far?
If I’m being honest, the exam, or more so the revision for the exam. I found as many resources related to the Salesforce Administration exam as I could which included practice questions, revision notes and exam details. I also went back over some of the Trailhead modules and projects and spent a lot of time revising, which did pay off as I passed the exam first time. It wasn’t easy though!
What would you say has been your most valuable learning experience so far?
That I CAN do it. I also know that when I set myself goals, and put in the hard work, I can achieve success. As I was self-learning, I had no concept of the value of what I had learned until I shared some of the work I had done in the community groups. I received some very positive feedback from the Salesforce community and it was a confidence boost to receive good feedback which confirmed to me I was on the right track. This motivated me to continue working towards my new career.
I also took any chance to get some hands-on practice in Salesforce whether it be Trailhead projects, Superbadges, and my own personal developer org projects. This really helped me see the bigger picture of what Salesforce does and how it can be used. Completing the administrative tasks and going through all the steps in real time in my own playground or org meant that I was more likely to retain what I had learnt.
What has your experience been so far during your job search?
I’m the kind of person that likes to prepare before starting anything so until recently I didn’t even feel ready to hit the ‘apply’ button. In fact, Lynne contacted me just as I was thinking about applying for jobs so the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I received some great advice from her and now I feel I can confidently apply for jobs.
What are your ambitions and career goals?
My aim is to become a stand-out Salesforce Administrator and to continue developing my Salesforce skills. I envision going down either the Developer or Architect route, however I am also open to gaining experience in my first role and seeing where it takes me.
Quick Fire Round
Favourite Trailhead module?
Reports & Dashboards for Lightning Experience – I remember having lots of fun with this one. I feel like this was the module that inspired the idea for my personal project, and reports and dashboards are still one of my favourite things to do in Salesforce.
Top tip for anyone starting out their Salesforce learning journey?
Make sure to make time for other aspects of your development whilst you are learning. My biggest setback was probably focusing too much on getting the qualification which meant that I wasn’t ready for the next steps once I passed.
Favourite Salesforce Influencer?
The one that stands out for me is @SalesforceBen. There are lots of useful resources on this website that help break down lots of Salesforce information into easy to manage articles.
Your ‘Next Steps’ in three words?
Job, Career, Future
For a confidential discussion about your Salesforce career journey, or for help recruiting Salesforce professionals contact [email protected] or [email protected]
